Student shot at Highland High School in Palmdale, former schoolmate in custody

Share this:

A woman and her daughter are reunited Friday, May 11, 2018, outside Highland High School in Palmdale after a lockdown at the campus ended following a shooting that wounded a student. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News, SCNG)

A 14-year-old boy is in custody after a Friday morning shooting at Highland High School in Palmdale that left one student wounded, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said.

The boy managed to get a rifle, an SKS, onto school campus and into a school bathroom from where he then started shooting, as many as 10 rounds, said Sheriff Jim McDonnell during a news conference Friday afternoon.

A woman and a student are reunited outside Highland High School in Palmdale on Friday, May 11, 2018, after a former student allegedly shot and wounded a current student at the campus. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News, SCNG)

A woman and her daughter are reunited Friday, May 11, 2018, outside Highland High School in Palmdale after a lockdown at the campus ended following a shooting that wounded a student. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News, SCNG)

Sound

The gallery will resume inseconds

Victoria Aquino hugs her two daughters, Melany, 17 and Halie, 11, as the family was reunited outside Highland High School in Palmdale after the lockdown on Friday, May 11, 2018. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News, SCNG)

Jennifer Monpano holds her son Ruben Murillo-Villa, 16, as the family was reunited outside Highland High School in Palmdale after a lockdown ended following a shooting that left a student, 15, wounded on Friday, May 11, 2018. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News, SCNG)

Jennifer Monpano hugs her son Ruben Murillo-Villa, 16, as the family was reunited outside Highland High School in Palmdale after a lockdown ended following a shooting that left a student, 15, wounded on Friday, May 11, 2018. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News, SCNG)

A sheriff’s deputy is stationed outside Highland High School in Palmdale on Friday, May 11, 2018, after a lockdown ended at the campus where a former student allegedly shot a current student at the school. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News, SCNG)

Los Angeles County Sheriff, Jim McDonnell, talks about the shooting at Highland High School in Palmdale, CA. on Friday, May 11, 2018. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Sheriff deputies leave Highland High School in Palmdale after the lockdown ended Friday, May 11, 2018, following a shooting in which a 14-year-old former student allegedly wounded a 15-year-old student at the school. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News, SCNG)

Students are reunited with family members outside Highland High School in Palmdale on Friday, May 11, 2018, after a student was wounded, and a former student was arrested. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News, SCNG)

Deputies are seen on the Highland High School campus in Palmdale on Friday, May 11, 2018, after a student was shot. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News, SCNG)

A deputy is stationed outside Highland High School in Palmdale as a search of the school continues on Friday, May 11, 2018, following a shooting that left a student wounded. A former student was arrested. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News, SCNG)

Saraida Mendoza texts her son, George Rameriz, a ninth-grader, from the curb outside Highland High School in Palmdale on Friday as the sheriff’s department searches the school on Friday, May 11, 2018, following a shooting that left a student wounded and a former student in custody. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News, SCNG)

A concerned woman talks on the phone Friday, May 11, 2018, outside Highland High School in Palmdale as deputies search the school. A student was shot in the arm, and a teen boy was detained. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News, SCNG)

Students wait on a curb outside Highland High School in Palmdale as Sheriff search the campus on Friday, May 11, 2018. A student was shot in the arm, and a teen was detained. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News, SCNG)

Los Angeles County Sheriff, Jim McDonnell, talks about the shooting at Highland High School in Palmdale, CA. on Friday, May 11, 2018. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

The victim, a 15-year-old boy, was shot in the arm and is in stable condition at a local hospital, according to Capt. Darren Harris.

A parent told KNX that his wife was dropping their daughter off at the school when the wounded student ran up to her car, shouting “He shot me! He shot me! I don’t know why he shot me!” The woman told the boy to get into her car and she drove him to a nearby hospital, the parent said, adding that his wife was interviewed by sheriff’s deputies and was told the “little boy is going to be fine,” but he “didn’t know who shot him.”

The wounded boy underwent surgery Friday afternoon and is expected to make a full recovery, according to a trauma center representative.

“At this time we are investigating the motive,” Harris said Friday morning from the parking lot of the Antelope Valley Mall, where authorities set up a command post to give information on the school shooting. A few hundred yards away, frantic parents came to pick up students after school officials evacuated a portion of the school in the 39000 block of 25th Street West.

Deputies responded to the high school around 7 a.m. after receiving calls of someone with a gun on campus.

According to McDonnell, the first call came in at 7:03 a.m. and officers were dispatched by 7:05 a.m. with nearly 100 calls reporting the incident.

McDonnell said that school faculty provided video of the suspect arriving at the school and leaving the school. Neighbors around the high school also provided investigators with their own home surveillance footage to assist with the investigation, he said.

The suspect had gotten into a fight with his mother and left home. The boy then called his father and said he’d fired his rifle in the air, McDonnell said. Following the call, the father of the boy then reached out at 7:40 a.m. to a family friend who was an LAPD officer.

The off-duty officer was able to find the suspect near the school as he was heading toward a Vons grocery store. He detained the teen and called sheriff’s officials, who took the boy into custody on suspicion of attempted murder, according to McDonnell.

McDonnell praised the work done by all the agencies including the Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, ATF, ICE, Los Angeles County Fire, Homeland Security, paramedics and the staff at Antelope Valley Hospital, the only trauma center within a 50-mile radius.

A rifle believed used in the shooting was recovered, though it was not found on the school. Harris said the firearm was recovered “a distance away in the desert.”

It wasn’t revealed who owned the rifle. McDonnell said the ATF is investigating. He also didn’t say if any other firearms were found at the boy’s home, citing the ongoing investigation.

Authorities said the shooting appeared to be random but have not revealed the motive.

“This appears to be an isolated incident,” Sgt. Bob Boese said.

The suspect recently transferred to another school, according to McDonnell. It wasn’t clear if the boys knew each other.

Although school officials did manage to get some students off campus, dozens of others had to shelter in place until deputies could clear the campus.

Frightened parents and students embraced outside the gates of Highland High late Friday morning.

George Ramirez, 15, said he saw students running on campus earlier that morning, but was confused as to why.

“As I turn another corner I see the kid with the gun,” George said. “I’m startled thinking it’s one of my ROTC members.” He said he heard one shot and turned.

“He looks back at me and tells me to run,” he said. He fled to the teachers’ lounge.

George said he’d seen the teen on campus, but didn’t know him.

The handful of Highland High students who evacuated were taken to Antelope Valley Mall. Parents were told to have identification ready to pick up students and must be the students’ legal guardians, according to authorities.

Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford said he was proud of the work of first responders and school staff during the shooting.

According to McDonnell, everyone, including students and school staff, helped get the word out and also assisted in finding the shooter.

“This is how it’s supposed to work when we have a mass crisis,” he said.

McDonnell said the last time there was a unified active shooter training in the area was in December and everyone worked together smoothly.

“We have these exercises and hope we don’t have to use it,” said 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger. She also said prevention is needed in identifying students who may need help.

About a half-hour after the initial call regarding shots fired at Highland High, other calls came in, reports of shots heard near Manzanita Elementary School in the 38600 block of 33rd Street East. Deputies searched the elementary school but found nothing.

Authorities placed both schools on lockdown until they could clear the campuses. Manzanita Elementary is about 17 miles from Highland High.

Tearful parents waited outside the high school campus for information.

Al Guzman picked up his son, Isaiah Guzman, from Highland High. Isaiah, 19, is a special needs students but said he did hear the shot earlier Friday morning.

Guzman said he received a call from his daughter telling him there was an active shooter at her brother’s school.

“So I called the school and his teacher was crying, but she said everything was fine and he was fine,” Guzman said.

Guzman, who is a veteran, said he wasn’t too worried after speaking with the teacher.

“But if they would’ve said it was still happening, I would have run here,” he said.

McDonnell asked students who know of any fellow students who may be going through difficulties to let someone know. He said there are resources available to help them.

Sign up for our breaking news email newsletter: When major local news happens, you will be the first to know. Subscribe here.

Barger said the School Threat Assessment Response Team or START program helps staff, parents and students identify those who may be dealing with issues and then gets them help.

“I think when people think of mental health they think schizophrenia or disorders like that, but it can also be like depression and I have been pushing hard to expand the program and we have done just that,” Barger said.

McDonnell also stressed the importance of preparation not just for first responders and school authorities, but also for parents and students.

“Everyone should have a plan when something like this happens,” McDonnell said.

Staff Writer Ruby Gonzales, City News Service and The Associated Press contributed to this report.